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Glasgow Fall Again To Bath

Glasgow Warriors 10, Bath 29Glasgow succumbed to Bath today for the second time in a week. On a chill Firhill evening today they went down in an enthralling Heineken Cup contest.Kevin Tkachuk scored Glasgowa?'s only try seven minutes into the second half, and Dan Parks converted, cutting the Bath lead to 17-10. An earlier Parks penalty goal gave Glasgow the lead after only three minutes following a surge by Graydon Staniforth and Hefin Oa?"Hare from John Beattiea?'s lineout take, but Olly Barkley responded in kind. Thereafter the visitors mainly had the game under control, but Glasgow, off limited supplies, had chances in the second half to have gone closer if not all the way.Victory strengthened the former European championsa?" position at the top of the section table, and as in last Saturdaya?'s match against Glasgow at the Recreation Ground, Bath gained a four-try bonus. But that extra point almost eluded them. It was into added time after 80 minutes that Michael Stephenson scored that last try, and Barkleya?'s conversion was the last kick of the contest.For much of the game, especially in the first half, Glasgow were on the back feet. Batha?'s forwards turned the screws with driving, rolling mauls, much more than they had done in last weeka?'s encounter, and it speaks volumes for Glasgowa?'s defensive game that the visitors were confined to four tries. John Barclay had two particularly fine try-saving tackles in the first half.Also, two of the Bath tries were scored while Glasgow were reduced to 14 men, with Tim Barker in the sin-bin, apparently for attempting to foil a close-range maul by driving in from the side. It was the a??repeated infringementa?? class. Yet when, early in the second half, Glasgow were thwarted in that same way, with the crowd screaming for a yellow card, the refereea?'s dual reaction was to award a penalty and to speak with Zak Feaunati, the Bath captain. It was from that penalty that Tkachuk scored Glasgowa?'s sole try.After the match Hugh Campbell, Glasgowa?'s head coach, commented that a??the sin-binning took its toll as the game wore on.a?? However, to this observer that incident turned a spotlight yet again on a problem that plagues the game of rugby a?" that is the refereeing of the maul. Rather, it would be more pertinent to comment on how the maul is not refereed to the law.Clearly a?" and no one can surely deny it a?" the law states that the maul must be moving forward to remain legal. It is allowed to stop only once. Moving sideways has to be classified in the same way as stationery in that forward momentum has been lost. The refereeing fraternity in general seem to have forgotten that phrase about the need for a maul to be moving towards a goal-line.Where Barker was sin-binned the maul was crabbing infield, certainly not moving forward. The refereea?'s decision there should have been to award a scrum with a Glasgow put-in.For nearly half an hour, following Barkleya?'s equalising penalty goal, Bath dominated the Glasgow half of the field without any return for their pressure. Barkley, though, was not far away with a penalty from two steps inside his own half, and Chris Malone struck an attempted drop goal not far wide.Bath even dictated the stoppages. The first half was fractured by a succession of injuries to visiting players, though none was serious apart from Rob Fidlera?'s departure.But the yellow card for Barker in 34 minutes was enough for tip the scales. Only four minutes later Nick Walshe nipped over from a close-range ruck to finish off a fearsome phase of percussion hammering on the Glasgow line.Barkley converted for a 10-3 half-time lead, and only two minutes into the second half Danny Grewcock galloped over through a wide gap from a maul in the home 22. The space that opened for him was greater than anything that Glasgow had allowed in the first half.Campbell subsequently described Grewcocka?'s try as a??a killer blow.a?? Glasgow, however, picked up when the binned lock returned to the field, and from the close-range tapped penalty by Parks it was Barker who had the first go at the line. He was not far short before Tkachuk went the whole way to score.Soon afterwards Rory Lamont latched on to a loose ball near halfway and hacked ahead. But the bounce did not favour him, and Batha?'s riposte was swift, with Barkley opening the way for Tom Cheeseman to score. It was much the same way in which Barkley had created the opening try last week for Michael Stephenson.Barkleya?'s attempted conversion of that third try tonight struck the far post and rebounded the wrong way for Bath. But at 10-22 Glasgow were not out it. Stanifortha?'s chip and chase was denied by Frikkie Welsh, and Tkachuk went close again after a storming assault on the left initiated by Lamont and continued by Graeme Morrison (twice involved), Sam Pinder, Beattie, and Andrew Henderson.A try from either of those attacks would have turned the complexion of the game. Instead, Stephenson finished off by stepping past the rushing Staniforth to score a try that Barkley converted.While Bath stepped closer to a quarter-final slot Glasgow slipped away from contention for such a position. Indeed, it is now three years since they won a Heineken Cup game. That was against Bourgoin, and it is against that same French club that Glasgow will play their next European match next month. Before then they on the road for two Celtic League matches (against Borders and Ulster) as well as a trip to Dublin for a Heineken game against Leinster.Glasgow Warriors a?" Gradyon Staniforth; Hefin O'Hare, Graeme Morrison, Andy Henderson, Rory Lamont; Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge (captain); Kevin Tkachuk, Scott Lawson, Euan Murray, Tim Barker, Dan Turner, Steve Swindall, John Beattie, John Barclay. Substitutes a?" Gregor Hayter for Swindall (40 minutes), Sam Pinder for Beveridge (52), Andy Craig for Morrison (54-66), Lee Harrison for Murray (54), Craig Hamilton for Turner (65), Fergus Thomson for Lawson (73), Craig for Oa?"Hare (76). Not used a?" Colin Gregor.Try, Tkachuk; conversion, Parks; penalty goal, Parks.Bath a?" Michael Stephenson; Salesi Finau, Andy Higgins, Olly Barkley, Frikkie Welsh; Chris Malone, Nick Walshe; David Barnes, Pieter Dixon, Duncan Bell, Rob Fidler, Danny Grewcock, Andy Beattie, Zak Feaunati (captain), James Scaysbrook. Substitutes a?" James Hudson for Fidler (22), Tom Cheeseman for Welsh (52), Matt Stevens for Bell (65), Lee Mears for Dixon (65), Andy Williams for Walshe (62). Not used a?" Gareth Delve, Ryan Davis.Tries, Walshe, Grewcock, Cheeseman, Stephenson; conversions, Barkley (3); penalty goal, Barkley.Referee a?" George Clancy (Ireland).Heineken man of the match a?" Danny Grewcock.Attendance a?" 1759.Glasgow Warriors 10, Bath 29Glasgow succumbed to Bath today for the second time in a week. On a chill Firhill evening today they went down in an enthralling Heineken Cup contest.Kevin Tkachuk scored Glasgowa?'s only try seven minutes into the second half, and Dan Parks converted, cutting the Bath lead to 17-10. An earlier Parks penalty goal gave Glasgow the lead after only three minutes following a surge by Graydon Staniforth and Hefin Oa?"Hare from John Beattiea?'s lineout take, but Olly Barkley responded in kind. Thereafter the visitors mainly had the game under control, but Glasgow, off limited supplies, had chances in the second half to have gone closer if not all the way.Victory strengthened the former European championsa?" position at the top of the section table, and as in last Saturdaya?'s match against Glasgow at the Recreation Ground, Bath gained a four-try bonus. But that extra point almost eluded them. It was into added time after 80 minutes that Michael Stephenson scored that last try, and Barkleya?'s conversion was the last kick of the contest.For much of the game, especially in the first half, Glasgow were on the back feet. Batha?'s forwards turned the screws with driving, rolling mauls, much more than they had done in last weeka?'s encounter, and it speaks volumes for Glasgowa?'s defensive game that the visitors were confined to four tries. John Barclay had two particularly fine try-saving tackles in the first half.Also, two of the Bath tries were scored while Glasgow were reduced to 14 men, with Tim Barker in the sin-bin, apparently for attempting to foil a close-range maul by driving in from the side. It was the a??repeated infringementa?? class. Yet when, early in the second half, Glasgow were thwarted in that same way, with the crowd screaming for a yellow card, the refereea?'s dual reaction was to award a penalty and to speak with Zak Feaunati, the Bath captain. It was from that penalty that Tkachuk scored Glasgowa?'s sole try.After the match Hugh Campbell, Glasgowa?'s head coach, commented that a??the sin-binning took its toll as the game wore on.a?? However, to this observer that incident turned a spotlight yet again on a problem that plagues the game of rugby a?" that is the refereeing of the maul. Rather, it would be more pertinent to comment on how the maul is not refereed to the law.Clearly a?" and no one can surely deny it a?" the law states that the maul must be moving forward to remain legal. It is allowed to stop only once. Moving sideways has to be classified in the same way as stationery in that forward momentum has been lost. The refereeing fraternity in general seem to have forgotten that phrase about the need for a maul to be moving towards a goal-line.Where Barker was sin-binned the maul was crabbing infield, certainly not moving forward. The refereea?'s decision there should have been to award a scrum with a Glasgow put-in.For nearly half an hour, following Barkleya?'s equalising penalty goal, Bath dominated the Glasgow half of the field without any return for their pressure. Barkley, though, was not far away with a penalty from two steps inside his own half, and Chris Malone struck an attempted drop goal not far wide.Bath even dictated the stoppages. The first half was fractured by a succession of injuries to visiting players, though none was serious apart from Rob Fidlera?'s departure.But the yellow card for Barker in 34 minutes was enough for tip the scales. Only four minutes later Nick Walshe nipped over from a close-range ruck to finish off a fearsome phase of percussion hammering on the Glasgow line.Barkley converted for a 10-3 half-time lead, and only two minutes into the second half Danny Grewcock galloped over through a wide gap from a maul in the home 22. The space that opened for him was greater than anything that Glasgow had allowed in the first half.Campbell subsequently described Grewcocka?'s try as a??a killer blow.a?? Glasgow, however, picked up when the binned lock returned to the field, and from the close-range tapped penalty by Parks it was Barker who had the first go at the line. He was not far short before Tkachuk went the whole way to score.Soon afterwards Rory Lamont latched on to a loose ball near halfway and hacked ahead. But the bounce did not favour him, and Batha?'s riposte was swift, with Barkley opening the way for Tom Cheeseman to score. It was much the same way in which Barkley had created the opening try last week for Michael Stephenson.Barkleya?'s attempted conversion of that third try tonight struck the far post and rebounded the wrong way for Bath. But at 10-22 Glasgow were not out it. Stanifortha?'s chip and chase was denied by Frikkie Welsh, and Tkachuk went close again after a storming assault on the left initiated by Lamont and continued by Graeme Morrison (twice involved), Sam Pinder, Beattie, and Andrew Henderson.A try from either of those attacks would have turned the complexion of the game. Instead, Stephenson finished off by stepping past the rushing Staniforth to score a try that Barkley converted.While Bath stepped closer to a quarter-final slot Glasgow slipped away from contention for such a position. Indeed, it is now three years since they won a Heineken Cup game. That was against Bourgoin, and it is against that same French club that Glasgow will play their next European match next month. Before then they on the road for two Celtic League matches (against Borders and Ulster) as well as a trip to Dublin for a Heineken game against Leinster.Glasgow Warriors a?" Gradyon Staniforth; Hefin O'Hare, Graeme Morrison, Andy Henderson, Rory Lamont; Dan Parks, Graeme Beveridge (captain); Kevin Tkachuk, Scott Lawson, Euan Murray, Tim Barker, Dan Turner, Steve Swindall, John Beattie, John Barclay. Substitutes a?" Gregor Hayter for Swindall (40 minutes), Sam Pinder for Beveridge (52), Andy Craig for Morrison (54-66), Lee Harrison for Murray (54), Craig Hamilton for Turner (65), Fergus Thomson for Lawson (73), Craig for Oa?"Hare (76). Not used a?" Colin Gregor.Try, Tkachuk; conversion, Parks; penalty goal, Parks.Bath a?" Michael Stephenson; Salesi Finau, Andy Higgins, Olly Barkley, Frikkie Welsh; Chris Malone, Nick Walshe; David Barnes, Pieter Dixon, Duncan Bell, Rob Fidler, Danny Grewcock, Andy Beattie, Zak Feaunati (captain), James Scaysbrook. Substitutes a?" James Hudson for Fidler (22), Tom Cheeseman for Welsh (52), Matt Stevens for Bell (65), Lee Mears for Dixon (65), Andy Williams for Walshe (62). Not used a?" Gareth Delve, Ryan Davis.Tries, Walshe, Grewcock, Cheeseman, Stephenson; conversions, Barkley (3); penalty goal, Barkley.Referee a?" George Clancy (Ireland).Heineken man of the match a?" Danny Grewcock.Attendance a?" 1759.